Venous blood flow stimulator for extracorporeal therapy

Abstract

A blood flow stimulator may help encourage blood flow in a limb of a patient. The blood flow stimulator may include a housing configured for sealing about the limb of the patient. The housing may include a sealable volume, and the sealable volume may receive the limb of the patient. The blood flow stimulator may include a seal, and the seal may be coupled with the housing. The seal may engage with at least a portion of the limb, for instance to segregate the sealable volume from a surrounding environment of the blood flow stimulator. The blood flow stimulator may include a conduit extending through the housing. The conduit mat help provide access to the sealable volume, for instance from the surrounding environment. In some examples, an adjustable stent is utilized to enhance blood flow within vasculature of a patient. A stent operator may change a size of the stent.

The claimed invention is: 
     
       1. A blood flow stimulator for encouraging blood flow in a limb of a patient, comprising:
 a housing configured for sealing about the limb of the patient, the housing including a sealable volume, wherein the housing is configured to receive the limb of the patient within the sealable volume; 
 a seal coupled with the housing and configured to engage with at least a portion of the limb to segregate the sealable volume from a surrounding environment of the blood flow stimulator; 
 a force generator configured to generate a vacuum within the sealable volume and is configured to generate a force upon skin of the limb to encourage blood flow in the limb when the limb is received in the sealable volume; and
 a conduit extending through the housing, wherein:
 the conduit provides access to the sealable volume from the surrounding environment; and 
 the conduit is configured to receive a portion of a blood filtration circuit that is external of the patient. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The blood flow stimulator of  claim 1 , wherein the force generator includes a pump configured to generate a pressure differential within the sealable volume. 
     
     
       3. The blood flow stimulator of  claim 1 , wherein the force generator includes one or more of an adhesive, or a suction cup. 
     
     
       4. The blood flow stimulator of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit is a first conduit and the force generator is in communication with a second conduit. 
     
     
       5. The blood flow stimulator of  claim 1 , further comprising the blood filtration circuit. 
     
     
       6. The blood flow stimulator of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an open configuration and a closed configuration, the housing including:
 a first housing segment; 
 a second housing segment; and 
 a hinge moveably interconnecting the first housing segment with the second housing segment, wherein the hinge facilitates transitioning the housing between the open configuration and the closed configuration. 
 
     
     
       7. The blood flow stimulator of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a locking mechanism configure to maintain the housing in a locked and secured configuration. 
 
     
     
       8. The blood flow stimulator of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sealable volume is segregated into a first section and a second section; 
 the blood flow stimulator includes a first pressurizing conduit, and the first pressurizing conduit is in communication with the first section of the sealable volume; and 
 the blood flow stimulator includes a second pressurizing conduit, and the second pressurizing conduit is in communication with the second section of the sealable volume. 
 
     
     
       9. A blood filtration system, comprising:
 a blood flow stimulator for encouraging blood flow in a limb of a patient, including:
 a housing including a sealable volume, wherein the housing is configured to receive the limb of the patient within the sealable volume; 
 a seal coupled with the housing and configured to engage with the limb to segregate the sealable volume from a surrounding environment of the blood flow stimulator; 
 a conduit extending through the housing, wherein:
 the conduit provides access to the sealable volume from the surrounding environment; and 
 the conduit is configured to receive a portion of a blood filtration circuit that is external of the patient; 
 
 
 a force generator configured to generate a vacuum within the sealable volume and to generate a force upon skin of the limb to encourage blood flow in the limb when the limb is received in the sealable volume; and 
 a controller including processing circuitry configured to operate the force generator to generate the force applied to the skin of the patient. 
 
     
     
       10. The blood filtration system of  claim 9 , wherein the blood filtration system is configured to reduce one or more plasma constituents in blood of a patient. 
     
     
       11. The blood filtration system of  claim 9 , wherein force generator includes a pump, and whereby an operation of the pump generates a pressure differential in the sealable volume relative to the surrounding environment. 
     
     
       12. The blood filtration system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 modulate the force generator in correspondence with one or more physical or physiological parameters. 
 
     
     
       13. The blood filtration system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller modulates the force generator in correspondence with a respiratory cycle of the patient. 
     
     
       14. The blood filtration system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller modulates the force generator to increase the force applied to the skin of the patient during inspiration by the patient. 
     
     
       15. The blood filtration system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller modulates the force generator to decrease the force applied to the skin of the patient during expiration by the patient. 
     
     
       16. The blood filtration system of  claim 9 , further comprising a respiratory sensor configured to determine a respiratory cycle of the patient. 
     
     
       17. The blood filtration system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is in communication with the respiratory sensor and the controller is further configured to:
 monitor the respiratory cycle of the patient. 
 
     
     
       18. The blood filtration system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the blood flow stimulator includes:
 a first section of the sealable volume segregated from a second section of the sealable volume; 
 a first pressurizing conduit in communication with the first section of the sealable volume; 
 a second pressurizing conduit in communication with the second section of the sealable volume; and 
 wherein the first pressurizing conduit and the second pressurizing conduit facilitate pressurizing the first section independent of the second section; and the controller is configured to: 
 operate the force generator to pressurize the first section of the sealable volume at a first pressure; 
 operate the force generator to pressurize the second section of the sealable volume at a second pressure. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The blood filtration system of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 drive venous return through a vein of the patient by modulating the force generator to vary the pressure in the first section and the second section of the sealable volume. 
 
     
     
       20. The blood filtration system of  claim 9 , wherein the blood filtration system includes a kinematic sensor configured to determine kinematic characteristics of the limb of the patient, and wherein the controller is configured to:
 monitor the kinematic characteristics of the limb; 
 compare the monitored kinematic characteristics to a kinematic threshold; and 
 operate the force generator when the monitored kinematic characteristics exceed the kinematic threshold.